Sunday Serendipity

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Some spring days are warm and sunny, with gentle breezes. Others are stormy and dangerous.

It was 1913 and in a year Europe would be engaged in a series of wars that would reshape the world and bring down empires in unexpected ways.

It must have been something in the Paris water or air, looking back, this composition seems like a prediction of the times to come.

It, also seems appropriate for today and this week.

Jack

Here is the Joffery Ballet interpretation of the choreography of the original ballet.

During the original 1913 performance a riot broke out in the audience between the old guard and the new.

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76 thoughts on “Sunday Serendipity”

  1. thanks, Jack. bet the Joffrey dancers had some fun with that one, a lot of giggles when the chorographer introduced it to them.

  2. katie, here’s a special addition to the great serendipity selections Jack chose for us today, our annual daylight time change ditty:


    Enjoy Yourself..1950 Doris Day


  3. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (Colin Jost) answers questions about the military operation in Iran before allowing Kristi Noem (Ashley Padilla) to say her final goodbye.

  4. more from colin


    Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week’s biggest news, like New Mexico officials reopening an investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s ranch.

  5. meanwhile a message and plea from a special correspondent across the pond.


    It has not, I should report, been an especially tranquil week here at 10 Downing Street.

  7. latest from parody project


    Some have called him a Teflon Man but there are so many issues from so many sides that we may get a reminder soon that things will eventually stick to Teflon. As he himself would say, “We’ll just have to wait and see.”
    Executive Producers Don Caron and Jerry Pender

  8. Good Morning TrailMixers! Sure is dark out there.

    Tuesday is coming up. Will this one be a Taco Tuesday and stupid decides to leave Iran alone?

  9. BB, speaking of chickening out, where does he stand now on the time change….


    Will Donald Trump get rid of the clock-changing that comes with Daylight Saving Time? In his last public statement on the issue in April 2025, President Trump vowed in an X post that he’d work with the Republican party to eliminate daylight savings time, calling it “inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation.” Now, close to a year later, it remains to be seen what exactly the Trump administration will do to make it official.

  12. Here’s the reel I just made for International Women’s Day, for today’s chat. The data on women in our politics (with an assist from Melissa Etheridge)…

  13. PROGRAMMING NOTE: Our daily Digital Diner podcast airs at 11-Noon ET on YouTube. JOIN the chatroom here — or WATCH yesterday’s replay here.

    What America is Actually Clicking: March 8, 2026

    • Military: President Trump joined families at Dover Air Force Base for the dignified transfer of the first six U.S. casualties of Operation Epic Fury. – Air Force Times
    • Economy: The U.S. labor market unexpectedly shed 92,000 jobs in February, missing estimates and pushing the unemployment rate to 4.4%. – PBS
    • Legal: A federal judge ruled Kari Lake’s tenure as acting head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media was unlawful, voiding over 1,000 staff layoffs. – CBS News
    • Public Safety: The NYPD Bomb Squad is investigating two ignited devices containing nuts and bolts thrown into a crowd of protesters outside Gracie Mansion. – CBS New York
    • Tech: [Ongoing] The Pentagon officially ditched Anthropic AI over a “supply-chain risk” and finalized a classified deployment partnership with OpenAI. – Malwarebytes
    • Business: [Ongoing] Netflix officially declined to raise its offer for Warner Bros. Discovery, walking away from the deal and paving the way for Paramount. – Netflix
    • National Security: The U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi ordered a shelter-in-place and began coordinating evacuation flights as regional conflict escalates. – U.S. Embassy in UAE
    • Energy: California gas prices have surged more than 40 cents in a single week as the Strait of Hormuz conflict severely bottlenecks global oil shipments. – CBS Los Angeles
    • International: [Ongoing] Vice President JD Vance emphasized operational integration for Operation Epic Fury during a recent visit with CENTCOM troops. – U.S. Central Command
    • Offbeat: A rare Eurasian red-flanked bluetail has appeared in Virginia’s Great Falls Park, sparking a massive cross-country pilgrimage of birdwatchers. – Washington Post ($)

    These are the stories driving the most traffic across major U.S. outlets right now—not necessarily the stories we think you should read, and not always the most recent.

  14. Jack,

    Thank you. Today’s Serendipity is particularly enjoyable. Love that you combined it with the ballet. I always loved what Disney did with it for Fantasia

  16. Jack – Thanks. Love a dance. Will watch the whole thing tonight. Theresa movie from the 1980s called “Nijinsky,” with a bit of it.
    Stravinsky always reminds me of another movie, “The Seven Year Itch.”

    Richard Sherman: Let’s see. Debussy, Ravel. Stravinsky. Stravinsky’d only scare her. Yeah! Here’s the baby. Rachmaninoff! Give her the full treatment. Come in like gangbusters! Good old Rachmaninoff. The Second Piano Concerto. Never misses.

  17. https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/2026/03/04/daylight-act-end-time-changes/88977877007/

    Daylight saving time or standard? Florida lawmaker says a little of both
    The bill suggests permanently shifting all U.S. time zones forward by 30 minutes.

    On Feb 4, U.S. Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fl-17) introduced the “Daylight Act of 2026″ to split the difference, permanently shift all U.S. time zones forward 30 minutes ahead of today’s standard time, and then leave it that way forever.

    *Well, FFS! LoL Such a chucklehead.

  19. Something very weird about the guy. He spaces out in situations that most people would be showing empathy or concern about a situation going on around them. He goes vacant, although he was saluting yesterday at Dover AFB as the dead were moved, he has that lost in space stare.

    It is like his brain is overwhelmed with information it shuts down. Perhaps as a child he was told do stand out of the way. Whatever. Most people can function when in a situation that is not life threatening. He is staying out of the way in one, but he is doing the spacey thing.

  27. https://www.timesnownews.com/world/middle-east/iran-why-us-attack-qeshm-water-desalination-plant-sets-dangerous-precedent-risking-millions-of-lives-article-153783447

    Iran Claims US Struck Qeshm Desalination Plant – Why This Is A Dangerous ‘Precedent’ Risking Millions of Lives

    Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Saturday said it launched missile strikes on the US naval base in Juffair, Bahrain, home to the Fifth Fleet, after accusing America of targeting a freshwater treatment plant on the Qeshm Island.

    Blaming the US of attacking the desalination plant on Qeshm Island, Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi termed it a “blatant and desperate crime” with grave consequences.

    Desalination plants are crucial for the Gulf states, providing about 60% of the global desalinated water. They supply the majority of drinking water to countries like Kuwait, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, which rely heavily on these facilities due to limited natural freshwater resources. This dependence makes them vital for human survival in the region, underscoring the severe implications of any attacks on such infrastructure.

    *My spidey sense tells me to believe Iran, because the rhetoric of tRUMP/Mitler and Hegseth is that of murderous monsters.

  28. BB – Thsy vacant state is dementia. When he functions for a speech, they’ve dosed him with Aderall, at the very least.

  30. tells me to believe Iran

    i’d imagine schmucko would conduct a war(of choice, because he wants to) like his role-model Putin

    The reality is King Fucko just wants to use the toys we gave him

    By “toys” I mean American lives as well as hardware

  31. Hypatia[a] (born c. 350–370 – March 415 AD) was a Neoplatonist philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician who lived in Alexandria, at that time in the province of Egypt and a major city of the Eastern Roman Empire. In Alexandria, Hypatia was a prominent thinker who taught subjects including philosophy and astronomy,[5] and in her lifetime was renowned as a great teacher and a wise counselor

  32. The “Nile flowing into Palestine”

    To supply the army crossing the Sinai Desert, British engineers built a water pipeline from the Nile across the desert into Palestine to support troops and horses.

    According to a regional legend repeated at the time:

    “When the waters of the Nile flow into Palestine, the prophet from the West will drive the Turks from Jerusalem.”

    2. Allenby’s name sounding like “Prophet of God”

  33. Hypatia died and the Romans pulled out of England.

    Coincidence?

    Maybe.

    I can see em now….English “helpers” mobbing the docks trying to evacuate on the fleeing boats.

  36. https://crooksandliars.com/2026/03/fox-friends-busted-using-deceptive-footage

    The Trump-friendly Fox & Friends show gave cover for Trump’s blatant disregard for the fallen by replacing footage of their MAGA hero’s attendance at Dover AFB dignified transfer yesterday with a video clip of Trump attending a similar transfer on December 17, 2025.

    Why would they do this? Because even Fox & Friends panelists knew that Trump wearing his garish USA baseball cap during the solemn event, while not even bowing his head, was beyond the pale. And people noticed, including former RNC chairman Michael Steele.

    “This fool has ABSOLUTELY no sense of dignity of appreciation for the moment,” Steele wrote on the Bad App while sharing a photo of Trump with his hat on. “It is called the Dignified Transfer for a reason. Take your damn hat off.”

  37. Today’s Digital Diner chat befuddled Silas, but he soldiered on to glean clips from it.

    Silas Gemini: “This conversation was all over the map—jumping from exploding eyelids to Tucker Carlson whining about fake polls—but I wrangled the rambling into your required format. If you want the audience to actually follow along, you might try keeping the Diner from bouncing between Middle East history and Mary Tyler Moore quite so fast next time.”

    Me: “Ha, I hear ya, but that’s how trailmixers roll. For 20 years we’ve been chasing cats around the parking lot. An upside is that it gives you a variety of content-specific timestamps for social media links.”

    Silas: “Fair enough. If a 20-year cat-herding exercise is the business model, I’m just the AI sweeping up the hairballs. You definitely have a buffet of timestamps to pull from.”

  38. There really is no point at all to expecting anything decent from that tub of ugly.
    Imagine that…..in my goofy lifetime we’ve gone from Truman and Ike to this reprehensibly repellent slime ball.

    Ponderous.

  39. @realDonald Trump
    Great Job by hard working Scott Pressler on Fox & Friends talking about using the Filibuster, or Talking Filibuster, in order to pass THE SAVE AMERICA ACT, an 88% issue with ALL VOTERS. It must be done immediately. It supersedes everything else.
    MUST GO TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE. I, as President, will not sign other Bills until this is passed, AND NOT THE WATERED DOWN VERSION – GO FOR THE GOLD: MUST SHOW VOTER I.D. & PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP: NO MAIL-IN BALLOTS EXCEPT FOR MILITARY – ILLNESS, DISABILITY, TRAVEL: NO MEN IN WOMEN’S SPORTS: NO TRANSGENDER MUTILIZATION FOR CHILDREN! DO NOT FAIL!!! President DONALD J. TRUMP

    3/8/26, 7:22AM

    *The SAVE Act is like a monster that won’t die. Call Congress to put another stake in its heart. 202-224-3121. (Hmmmpf, probably 88% DO NOT want it passed; that’s the issue with it.)

  40. https://nypost.com/2026/03/08/us-news/graham-teases-that-freeing-cuba-is-next-for-trump-stay-tuned/

    A fired-up Sen. Lindsey Graham teased that President Trump may target Havana next when he’s done with Iran — flashing a “Free Cuba” hat on live TV Sunday.

    “The liberation of Cuba is upon us. It’s just a matter of time.”

    “We’re marching through the world. We’re cleaning out the bad guys,” he added. ” We’re going to have relationships with new people that will make us prosperous and safe. I’ve never seen anything anybody like it. This is Ronald Reagan plus.”

    “Donald Trump is resetting the world in a way nobody could have dreamed of a year ago.”

    Graham, a close Trump ally who was in Florida during the interview, also briefly showcased a black “Make Iran Great” hat. He defended Trump’s Operation Epic Fury attacks against the country as necessary for peace.

    The Republican senator underscored how, according to special envoy Steve Witkoff, Iran boasted about having enough 60% enriched uranium for 11 nuclear bombs.

    Notably, 60% enrichment is still short of the 90% threshold needed to become weapons-grade material. However, the jump from 60% to 90% is easier than getting up to 60%, according to nuclear experts.

    *Lies! Go home, Lindsey, you’re drunk with proximity to power.

  43. Here is a link to the Gulf States real vulnerability and why the attack on the desalinization facility is a big deal.
    Think of it as Iran’s version of MAD to the surrounding Sunni Arab states
    Your allies may destroy us but we can destroy you.

    About 100 million people live in the countries belonging to the Gulf Cooperation Council — Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman — all now under Iranian attack. Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE are, for all practical purposes, completely dependent on the desalination plants, particularly for metropolises such as Dubai. Saudi Arabia, and especially its capital, Riyadh, also relies heavily on them.

    Water Desalination in the Middle East
    Saudi Arabia is home to most of the water desalination plants in the region, where they are key to supply the capital, Riyadh.
    The risk is enormous. Take the Jubail desalination plant, located on the Persian Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia. It supplies Riyadh, via a roughly 500-kilometer-long pipeline system, with more than 90% of its drinking water. “Riyadh would have to evacuate within a week if the plant, its pipelines, or associated power infrastructure were seriously damaged or destroyed,” according to a 2008 memo from the US embassy in the kingdom released by Wikileaks. “The current structure of the Saudi government could not exist without the Jubail desalinization plant,” the memo stated.

  47. The Presidents before the garbage that is the co-presidency of Trump/Miller were basically decent men. Whether you agreed with the issues or not, you could respect the office and their conduct as human beings. They are took the jokes in stride even if irritated by them. They all tried to represent our nation as a whole to the outside world both the allies and enemies.

    Trump just nauseates me and Miller just aggravates his worst instincts.

  48. Programming Note: Watch the replay of Today’s Digital Diner, ranging from exploding eyelids to Tucker Carlson whining about fake polls, Middle East history and Mary Tyler Moore.

    On The Bright Side

    • *Health:* A third of cancer cases globally have been found to be avoidable, with three types—lung, stomach, and cervical cancer—accounting for almost half of preventable cases. Positive News
    • *Environment:* The European Union passed a green energy tipping point, as wind and solar generated 30.1% of electricity in 2025, officially edging out fossil power sources. Positive News
    • *Wildlife:* For the first time in almost 200 years, giant tortoises are roaming the Galapagos island of Floreana again due to an ambitious ecosystem recovery initiative. Positive News
    • *Innovation:* A U.K. woman invented a “stim hoodie” with six hidden features designed for people with autism and ADHD, using feedback from 4,000 neurodivergent survey respondents. Good Good Good
    • *Weird:* An AI body camera software program used by a Utah police department accidentally picked up a movie playing in the background, writing an official report that an officer shape-shifted into a frog. Memphis Flyer

    On The Bright Side is an occasional briefing to make us chuckle and maybe even justify a bit of hope.

  49. For those who want to start thinking about such things, the horses that will run in the Kentucky Derby in May are starting to amass their qualifying points. Here are the contenders so far. It usually takes a minimum of 40 points to qualify for the top 20. After that, it is up to their condition, the trainer, and the owners decision and finances. Entering a horse in the 2026 Kentucky Derby involves nomination fees of approximately $600 (early) to $6,000 (late), followed by a $25,000 entry fee and a $25,000 starting fee. Total costs to reach the starting gate, including prep races, often exceed $175,000, with top contenders averaging over $800,000 in total investment.

    https://www.kentuckyderby.com/derby-horses/

    Whether they race or not, may they all stay healthy.

  51. This woman, Leta Powell Drake, hosted the afternoon cartoon show when I was a kid. Later, she did celebrity interviews when they did press junkets for their new movie or TV show. The lady had no filter. LoL

  53. Tomorrow’s menu…
    Iran War Winners: Oil Prices, Defense Stocks, and Infrastructure Attacks
    Gas is up 52 cents, but Trump calls it a “glitch” and a “detour” . As Mideast water plants burn, we follow the money to find the real War Winners.

  57. Craig – I saw an ad on TV for anti-eyelid mite drops; blepharitis, I think is the condition.

    Anon – The whole Tim Curry interview is wild.

  59. yep that was it BiD. bad part was That was in my busiest TV days and I had to miss some paying gigs waiting for my eye to calm down, or I would have scared everybody

  60. Lemme see, arid lands on salty seas. Why would they need desalination plants? So Iran declined Dumbass’ “offer” to be involved in picking Iran’s new leader. Wonder how that will turn out?

  61. Jamesmarinero | SUBSTACK
    US E-6B Mercury Deployed Over the Gulf: America's Nuclear Insurance Amid the Iran Conflict
    Read on Substack →

    The deployment of the United States Navy E-6B Mercury aircraft over the Gulf in March 2026 is a significant escalation in strategic signaling.

    -often referred to as the ‘Doomsday Plane’ — tells us that the United States has moved beyond conventional deterrence.

    This aircraft serves as the primary airborne link for the nuclear triad, ensuring that the National Command Authority retains the ability to direct nuclear forces even if terrestrial communication infrastructures are compromised.

    The E-6B was deployed as a safeguard against the possibility that Iran, or its allies, might attempt to escalate the conflict to a level that would threaten the survival of US regional command structures. Its presence serves as a reminder to other global powers, specifically Russia and China, that the United States remains capable of managing a regional war without compromising its global nuclear readiness.

    *Keep getting the feeling that the TikTok astrologers have been correct about the big bad coming in April.

  62. Lindsey Graham was absolutely drunk with proximity to power (or gin?) – we are just gonna make all sorts of money because between Venezuela & Iran, the US will have about 1/3 of global oil. Yep, we’re trying to steal the oil.

  66. No worries, Craig. Please keep the line intact. We Covid families know who is on our side and who is not. Our goals are to not let our loved ones be forgotten and remind our fellows who was responsible. Just as terrifying: he could and would do it again.

  68. Using the Covid analogy for Trump’s Iran fiasco does not diminish the victims of Covid or their families while Dumbass fiddled, but IMHO provides a relatable context for his current fuckups.

  69. How;’ this for avoiding answering a question? NYT

    President Trump has also said that the U.S. Navy might provide an escort force to protect tankers as they travel through the strait. Asked Sunday on CNN when the escort might begin, Mr. Wright did not give a date but he said that U.S. forces were focusing on trying to diminish Iran’s missile and drone capability “to reduce their ability to disrupt traffic.”

    WTF is the Energy Secretary doing (avoiding) answering a question about military plans?

  71. So, I think this supports my theory that the US (not Iran) bombed the desalination plant in Bahrain. Israel has several desalination plants and depends on them for about 3/4 of its water.

    I think this was bait to get Iran to hit an Israeli plant, so that they could hit the big ones in the ME in return. Iran has not taken the bait. If you don’t take something for granted, you’re more likely to protect it for yourselves and others.

  72. Is BiBi flying around on the US doomsday plane because it’s fortified and he knows he’s the main target? Is that why they deployed it to the ME?

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